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The very first Photographic Nights of Selma, an international photography festival, is scheduled to take place downtown this Saturday.

The inaugural photography festival will feature a number of presentations and exhibits beginning at 10 am, and conclude with a grand finale digital screening at 7 pm.

The public is invited to the free event with the objective of bringing the community together to get intimate with photography at a safe distance.

“Art connects us and crosses a multitude of boundaries to allow people to come together, to share and to better understand each other,” said ArtsRevive Executive Director Becky Youngblood. “The Photographic Nights of Selma Festival will highlight photography as an art form and will join people from across the globe to share time together in a place known for its history, where people are hungry for conversations about a future of supporting each other in meaningful ways.”

This inaugural festival features Jerry Siegel, Selma native and the guest of honor, along with other incredible photographic talent from the United States and Europe.

Festival goers can meet photographers, explore exhibits, enjoy presentations by artists, tour Selma and more.

The day concludes with an evening presentation of work by all of the festival photographers on a giant screen in the courtyard at Arts Revive.

The festival has been designed for social distancing from other mask wearing photography fans.

A food truck will be on hand for lunch, and for the evening screening the public is invited to bring a picnic and lawn chair to enjoy the first edition screening outdoors along the river at Arts Revive.

The Photographic Nights of Selma photography festival was founded by Stephane Kossmann and JoAnne Bland.

Kossmann is an internationally acclaimed photographer known for photographing the stars of the red carpet in Cannes. As the founder of photography festivals in France and North Africa, Kossman shares his time between New York and France.

Bland was an 11-year-old foot soldier during the famed Selma to Montgomery March. She is also the co-founder and former director of the National Voting Rights Museum and currently runs a tour agency specializing in Civil Rights tours.

All festival events will be Facebook live on the Facebook Page. More info at Photographic Nights of Selma.

Photographic Nights of Selma is made possible thanks to the support of Arts Revive and the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

For more information contact Elmore DeMott elmore@elmoredemott.com 334-324-ARTS.